Harvard Art Museums > 1986.547: Scaraboid Stamp Seal: Crouching Sphinx Seals Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Scaraboid Stamp Seal: Crouching Sphinx , 1986.547,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Dec 22, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/289076. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1986.547 Title Scaraboid Stamp Seal: Crouching Sphinx Classification Seals Work Type seal Date 700-600 BCE Period Archaic period Culture Phoenician Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/289076 Physical Descriptions Medium White stone Technique Intaglio Dimensions 1.1 x 1.2 x 0.7 cm (7/16 x 1/2 x 1/4 in.) Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Jonathan H. Kagan Accession Year 1986 Object Number 1986.547 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description This is a scaraboid stamp seal made of a chalky, white stone. The face of the seal is engraved with the image of a reclining winged lion creature with a human head. A single wing rises up from the center of its back, with feathers indicated by a series of parallel grooves. The hair on the creature’s head is rendered in a similar manner. A curled tail rises up at the back. The seal is chipped at both the front and back of the creature. A palmette with three leaves is in the creature’s front paw. Scaraboids featuring similar creatures, often called sphinxes, are best known from Phoenicia and Cyprus. The closest match to this seal is a chalcedony scaraboid in the collection of Leo Merz (1), dated to the 8th or 7th century BCE. NOTE 1. M.-L. Vollenweider, Deliciae Leonis: Antike geschnittene Steine und Ringe aus einer Privatsammlung (Mainz am Rhein, 1984) no. 8. Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
